Vanguard! Evolution
by tcgmaniac
Summary: Cardfight! vanguard is a card game. But to those who play it, it is more than just a game. This holds especially for Arata Kaneko who's life gets changed by the game.


This is my first ever vanguard story.

This is AU story and I won't be using the official release dates. I won't be using legion in the story, as I don't understand it too well. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Bushiroad owns Cardfight! Vanguard. I own my characters and the storyline.

**Vanguard! Evolution**

**Chapter 1 - A Cliché Beginning**

Though it started as nothing but just a card game for children, cardfight vanguard has proven to be more than that. The game has advanced over time and is enjoyed by many of different ages. Nowadays it isn't too surprising to see a small motion figure system in card shops.

"...what I'm just trying to say is that it is important to think when cardfighting, but over thinking will only lead to losing."

Arata had to suppress a sigh. Helio; his friend, had a tendency to give long extended speeches about a little matter.

Arata and Helio were in 'Cardshop Wonder' a card shop located in a city in Japan. Cardfight vanguard was the most popular game right now, and almost every one present in the shop were either playing or watching a cardfight.

Cardshop Wonder was a moderately sized shop. It had a counter near the door and many tables with two chairs on opposite sides were present in the shop. The shop was fairly new and as such it didn't have a motion figure system, instead three tall tables were placed at the centre for standing cardfights.

Arata and Helio were sitting opposite each other at a table; a cardfight mat was placed on the table.

"Well, that was... enlightening." Arata said, he always listened to Helio whether he wanted to or not.

Arata was an 14 year old of average height, he had long black hair. Some of his hair came down at the front and obscured his left eye from view. He had brown eyes and was wearing a black hoodie and black jeans.

"What about a cardfight?" The boy known as Helio asked.

Helio had large, spiky black hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a red t-shirt underneath a black jacket and black trousers, he had a laidback expression and often acted carefree.

"I guess so." Arata replied, unsure. He had just begun playing vanguard after a 'short' break-he hadn't played for six months until a week ago-. He already played before so Arata was no newbie at the game.

"You know, leather clothing and black makeup would have completed the goth look."

Arata knew that comment was directed at him. Most people said that to him because he always wore black clothing. The neutral expression on his face only helped to fuel this assumption.

Arata looked up at the speaker. She was a young girl with crimson hair and brown eyes. The girl wore a blue gown with colourful patterns on it.

"I'm not Goth." Arata replied. "Nor do I want to be one."

"Ok then." The girl said as she brought up the deck case in her hand. "I challenge you to a cardfight."

"Um...I was just about to cardfight Helio, so-"

"Don't worry." Helio interrupted Arata, he then turned to the girl. "You can cardfight him."

"Are you sure?" The girl asked.

"Yeah, I can always cardfight him at another time." Helio stood from the seat and took one from another table and sat adjacent to both players.

"Alright then," The girl said. She took Helio's former seat and brought out her deck.

"Arata brought out his deck before speaking, "I didn't get your name."

"Oh, right. I'm Miko." The girl replied.

Both players set their respective vanguards and drew their hands.

"I redraw four cards." Arata stated.

"I'll redraw two." Miko said.

Both players looked at their hands and then at each other before speaking.

"Stand up, Vanguard!" They both said.

"Lizard Soldier Conroe!" Miko declared.

**[Lizard Soldier Conroe - 5000 Power]**

"Machining Worker Ant!" Arata said.

**[Machining Worker Ant – 5000 Power]**

"Ladies first," Miko said as she drew a card. "I ride the Embodiment of Armor Bahr, Conroe moves back. Turn end." **[Embodiment of Armor Bahr - 8000 Power]**

**Miko's field**

**Hand: 5 **

**Front row: Empty - Embodiment of Armor Bahr - Empty**

**Back row: Empty - Lizard Soldier Conroe - Empty**

**Damage: None**

"I draw." Arata declared. " I ride Machining Mosquito" [**Machining Mosquito - 7000 Power]** "I activate mosquito's skill, when I ride it I can soul charge 1." Arata took the top card of his deck and placed it underneath his vanguard's card.

**[Soul charge - Medical Battler Ranpli]**

"I call Phantom Black." **[Phantom Black - 8000 Power]** "Phantom black will attack Bahr!"

Miko reached for the top of her deck, signifying that she wasn't guarding the attack. "Damage check...no trigger."

**[Damage check - Berserk Dragon – No trigger]**

"My vanguard will attack!" Arata declared. **[Power - 7000]**

"No guard." Miko said, knowing that without a trigger the attack won't hit."

"Drive check, no trigger."

**[Drive check - Machining Stagbeetle – No trigger]**

"Turn end."

**Arata's field**

**Hand: 5**

**Front row: Phantom Black – Machining Mosquito – Empty**

**Back row: Empty – Empty - Empty**

**Damage: None**

"My turn," Miko said as she drew a card. "I ride, Dragon Knight Nehalem." **[Dragon Knight Nehalem – 10000 Power] **"I call Iron Tail Dragon." **[Iron Tail Dragon: 7000 Power]**

"Iron Tail Dragon will attack your vanguard." **[Total Power – 7000]**

"Damage check," Arata said, revealing the top card of his deck. "No trigger."

**[Damage check – Bloody Hercules – No trigger]**

"Boosted by Conroe, Nehalem will attack your vanguard." Miko declared as she turned the card horizontally. **[Total Power – 10000 + 5000 = 15000]**

"No guard." Arata responded.

"Drive check," Miko said. "Critical trigger, all to my vanguard."

**[Drive check – Embodiment of Spear Tahr – No trigger]**

"Damage check." Arata said as he placed two card into his damage zone.

**[Damage check – Awakened Dragonfly – Stand trigger]**

**[Damage check – Death Warden Antlion – No trigger]**

"Turn end." Miko said, viewing the field.

**Miko's field**

**Hand: 5 **

**Front row: Empty – Dragon Knight Nehalem – Iron Tail Dragon**

**Back row: Empty - Lizard Soldier Conroe - Empty**

**Damage: Berserk Dragon(U)**

"My turn, stand and draw." Arata said as he began his turn. "Ride, Bloody Hercules. Phantom black moves back and I call Tail Joe." **[Bloody Hercules – 10000 Power] [Tail Joe – 8000 Power]**

"With a boost from Phantom Black, Tail Joe attacks your vanguard. And if all your rearguards are at rest, Tail Joe gets an additional 3000 power during my turn." **[Total Power - 8000 + 8000 + 3000 = 19000]**

"I guard with Tahr." Miko responded. **[Total Power – 10000 + 10000 = 20000]**

"Bloody Hercules will attack your vanguard!" **[Total Power – 10000]**

"No guard." Miko responded.

"Drive check...no trigger."

**[Drive check – Machining Armor Beetle – No trigger]**

"Damage check," Miko said as she checked the top card of her deck. "No trigger."

**[Damage check – Dauntless Drive Dragon – No trigger]**

"Turn end."

**Arata's field**

**Hand: 5**

**Front row: Tail Joe– Bloody Hercules – Empty**

**Back row: Phantom Black – Empty - Empty**

**Damage: Bloody Hercules(U), Awakened Dragonfly(U), Death Warden Antlion(U)**

"My turn, stand and draw." Miko said. "After long hard battles, the ultimate evolution of the overlord emerges, I ride! Dragonic Overlord the End." **[Dragonic Overlord the End – 11000 Power]**

Helio, who had been quiet since the fight began, was surprised when he saw 'The End'. That card was not one you saw every day; it was one of the rarest cards in cardfight vanguard.

"I call Berserk Dragon, Dragonic Overlord" Miko continued. **[Berserk Dragon – 9000 Power] [Dragonic Overlord – 11000 Power]**

"I activate Berserk Dragon's skill," Miko said as she turned two cards in her damage zone face down. "When I call Berserk dragon, I can retire one of your grade 2 or lower rear guard. I retire Tail Joe!"

Arata placed the Tail Joe card on the drop zone.

"I swap Iron Tail Dragon with Berserk dragon. Dragonic Overlord will attack your vanguard." **[Total Power – 11000]**

"No guard." Arata declared. "Damage check...draw trigger!"

**[Damage check – Raider Mantis – Draw trigger]**

"Power to my vanguard, and I draw." **[Bloody Hercules – 10000 + 5000 = 15000 Power]**

"Boosted by Conroe, my vanguard attacks Bloody Hercules!" **[Total power – 11000 + 5000 = 16000]**

"Sharp Nail Scorpio will guard that." Arata countered. **[Total Power – 15000 + 10000 = 25000]**

"Twin drive," Miko checked the top two cards of her deck. "First check...no trigger. Second check...critical trigger. All effects to Berserk Dragon."

**[Drive check – Dragonic Overlord The End – No trigger]**

**[Drive check – Blue Ray Dracokid – Critical Trigger]**

"Berserk Dragon will attack your vanguard with a boost from Iron Tail Dragon" **[Total Power – 9000 + 5000 +7000 = 21000 2 critical]**

"Medical battler, Ranpli,, guard!" Arata countered, slamming the card unto the guardian circle. **[Total Power – 15000 + 10000 = 25000]**

"Turn end."

**Miko's field**

**Hand: 4**

**Front row: Dragonic Overlord – Dragonic Overlord The End – Berserk Dragon**

**Back row: Empty - Lizard Soldier Conroe - Iron Tail Dragon**

**Damage: Berserk Dragon(F) Dauntless Drive Dragon(F)**

"I stand and draw." Arata said as he drew and stood all his units.

"Two damage to four, Arata's losing." Helio thought. "Hopefully he'll gain lost ground this turn."

"I ride, Machining Stag beetle!" Arata said as he slammed a card unto the vanguard circle. **[Machining Stag Beetle – 11000 Power]**

"Stag Beetle's skill activates; when I ride it, I can superior call up to two machining units from my soul as rest and the power of the called units are added to Stag Beetle's Power. Call! Machining Mosquito and Machining Worker Ant." Arata placed two cards from the stack under his vanguard on two rearguards circle. **[Machining Mosquito – 7000 Power] [Machining Worker Ant – 5000 Power] [Machining Stag Beetle – 10000 + 5000 + 7000 = 22000 Power]**

"Worker Ant's skill activates; when it is called, I can stand a resting Machining unit. I stand Mosquito."

"Next, I call Machining Armor Beetle." **[Machining Armor Beetle – 9000 Power] **"I activate Armor Beetle's skill; by placing a Machining rearguard into the soul, one of your rearguards can't stand next turn. I choose Dragonic Overlord."

**[Soul charge – Machining Worker Ant]**

"I call Lady Bomb." **[Lady Bomb – 9000 Power] **"With Lady Bomb's skill, by counterblasting two cards, I one of your rearguards can't stand next turn. I choose Iron Tail Dragon."

"Boosted by Mosquito, Machining Armor Beetle attacks The End." **[Total Power – 9000 + 7000 = 16000]**

"Damage check...no trigger." Miko said.

**[Damage check – Lizard Soldier Raopia – No trigger]**

"Machining Stag Beetle attacks your vanguard." Arata said as he turned the card horizontally. **[Total Power- 22000]**

"No guard." Miko said. One had to admit, she had a good poker face; she hadn't showed any emotion since the fight began.

"Drive check." Arata continued. "First check...no trigger, second check...heal trigger!"

**[Drive check – Machining Stag Beetle – No trigger]**

**[Drive check – Medical Battler Ranpli – Heal trigger]**

"I heal a point of damage and give the power boost to Lady Bomb." Arata said.

"Damage check...draw trigger." Miko said, placing the card in the damage zone and drawing a card. **[Dragonic Overlord The End – 11000 + 5000 = 16000 Power]**

**[Damage check – Gatling Claw Dragon – Draw trigger]**

"Boosted by Phantom Black, Lady bomb attacks your vanguard." Arata declared. **[Total Power – 9000 + 5000 + 8000 = 22000]**

"Blue Ray Dracokid, guard!" Miko countered. **[Total Power – 16000 + 10000 = 26000]**

"Turn end." Arata said.

**Arata's field**

**Hand: 4**

**Front row: Lady Bomb – Machining Stag Beetle – Machining Armor Beetle**

**Back row: Phantom Black – Empty – Machining Mosquito**

**Damage: Awakened Dragonfly(F), Death Warden Antlion(F), Raider Mantis(U)**

"My turn, stand and draw." Miko said as she stood all units except Dragonic Overlord and Iron Tail Dragon. "I activate Conroe's skill; I counterblast 1 and retire Conroe and I get to add a grade 1 or lower Kagero unit from my deck to my hand." Miko added a card called Dragon Knight Gimel to her hand.

"Berserk Dragon will attack Lady Bomb." **[Total Power – 9000]**

"Phantom Black will guard that." Arata guarded. **[Total Power – 9000 + 5000 = 14000]**

"Dragonic Overlord the end will attack your vanguard." **[Total Power – 11000]**

"Paralyze Madonna, Perfect guard." Arata said as he discarded a Phantom black from his hand to the drop zone. **[Shield – 0]**

"Twin drive," Miko said, adding the cards to her hand. "Turn end."

**[Drive check – Embodiment of Armor Bahr – No trigger]**

**[Drive check – Doom Bringer Griffin – No trigger]**

**Miko's field**

**Hand: 8**

**Front row: Dragonic Overlord – Dragonic Overlord The End – Berserk Dragon**

**Back row: Empty - Empty - Iron Tail Dragon**

**Damage: Berserk Dragon(F) Dauntless Drive Dragon(F), Lizard Soldier Raopia(U), Gatling Claw Dragon(U)**

"I stand and draw." Arata said as he drew.

"I ride, Machining Stag beetle!" Arata slammed another copy of his vanguard down. "Using Stag Beetle's skill, I superior call the Stag Beetle I rode over and Machining Worker Ant." Arate placed Machining Worker Ant behind his vanguard and replaced Machining Armor Beetle with the new Stag Beetle. **[Machining Stag Beetle – 10000] [Machining Worker Ant – 5000]**

"Now Stag Beetle gains power equal to theirs" Arata said. **[Machining Stag Beetle – 10000 + 10000 + 5000 = 25000 Power]**

"With Machining Worker Ant's skill, I stand Stag beetle. I retire Worker Ant and call Stealth Millipede in its place." **[Stealth Millipede – 6000 Power]**

"With a boost from Phantom black, Lady Bomb attacks your vanguard." **[Total Power – 9000 + 8000 = 17000]**

"Doom Bringer Griffin, Guard!" **[Total Power – 11000 + 10000 = 21000]**

"Boosted by Stealth Millipede, Machining Stag Beetle attacks!" Arata said as he turned the two cards sideways. "When all your rearguards are resting, Stealth Millipede adds 4000 power to the unit it boosts." **[Total Power – 25000 + 6000 + 4000 = 35000]**

"Wyvern Guard Barri, perfect guard!" Miko declared as she placed a card on the guardian circle. **[Shield – 0] **She dropped a Bahr from her hand and the attack was nullified.

"Twin drive," Arata declared, disappointment evident in his voice. "First check...no trigger, second...critical trigger. All effects to my rearguard Stag Beetle."

**[Drive check – Machining Worker Ant – No trigger]**

**[Drive check – Sharp Nail Scorpio – Critical trigger]**

"Boosted by Machining Mosquito, Machining Stag Beetle attacks your vanguard." **[Total Power – 10000 + 5000 + 7000 = 22000 2 critical]**

"Dragon Monk Gimel, guard." MIko said, placing the card in the damage zone and flipping a card in the damage zone face-down. **[Shield – 0]**

"Isn't that a perfect guard?" Arata asked, puzzled at why she perform counterblast.

"I'm surprised you don't know this is a quintet wall" Miko said in a surprised tone.

"Quintet wall?"

"It's a type of sentinel. When it is called to the guardian circle, by counterblasting 1 card, I can check the top 5 cards of my deck and call them as guardians." She checked the top 5 cards which were; Dragonic Overlord The End, Dragon Monk Genjo, Dragon Knight Nehalem, Demonic Dragon Mage Kimnara, Iron Tail Dragon. **[Total Power – 11000 + 0 + 10000 + 5000 + 5000 + 5000 =36000]**

"

"Turn end." Despite attacking at full power, Arata couldn't break through Miko's defence.

**Arata's field**

**Hand: 2**

**Front row: Machining Stag Beetle – Machining Stag Beetle – Machining Armor Beetle**

**Back row: Phantom Black – Stealth Millipede – Machining Mosquito**

**Damage: Awakened Dragonfly(F), Death Warden Antlion(F), Raider Mantis(U)**

"I stand and draw."

Miko added the card to her hand thinking, 'If this is how weak he is, then we'll all be wasting our time trying to recruit him. But I have orders to observe him until it's time, hopefully he'll have gotten stronger then.'

"Hey!" Arata said, snapping Miko out of her thoughts.

"I call Bahr behind my vanguard." Miko called. **[Embodiment of Armor Bahr – 8000 Power] **"Dragonic Overlord attacks your vanguard." **[Total Power – 11000]**

"Damage check," Arata responded, if he could successfully guard The End, he could take two damage. "No trigger"

**[Damage check – Paralyze Madonna – No trigger]**

"Boosted by Bahr, The End attacks your vanguard." **[Total Power – 11000 + 8000 = 19000]**

"I guard with Machining Worker Ant and Sharp nail Scorpio!" **[Total Power – 10000 + 10000 + 10000 = 30000]**

"Twin Drive," Miko checked. "First...stand trigger. All effects to Dragonic Overlord. Second...heal trigger. Power to Berserk Dragon"

**[Drive check – Flame Seed Salamander – Stand trigger]**

**[Drive check – Dragon Monk Genjo – Heal trigger]**

"Dragonic Overlord attacks your vanguard." Miko continued. **[Total Power – 11000 + 5000 = 16000]**

"Damage check..."

**[Damage check – Tail Joe – No trigger]**

"Berserk Dragon attacks with a boost from Iron Tail Dragon." **[Total Power – 9000 + 5000 = 14000]**

Arata reached for his deck, he had nothing to guard with. He had planned on intercepting with Armor Beetle, but the arrival of a the heal trigger killed that idea. "Damage check...no trigger."

**[Damage check – Machining Stag Beetle – No trigger]**

"That wraps it up." Miko said as soon as the 6th damage was dealt.

"Good game." Arata said, gathering his cards.

"I know. I can't say the same for you." She said, taking her deck and leaving the shop.

"That was uncalled for." Helio said, standing up.

"Not really, I guess i'm not so good at this."

"At least you're not a sore loser like some of the 'good' players." Helio replied. "Every loss in cardfight vanguard only helps you improve. I mean you would have won if you had intercepted Dragonic Overlord's attack.

"Yeah, I just decided to bet on a trigger showing up. So I wouldn't have to use up too much guarding."

"Well, at least you won't make the same mistake twice." Helio stated. "It's getting late, i should be going now."

"Yeah, I'll go too." Arata said, taking his deck.

As he and Helio left the shop, Arata couldn't help but wonder why a strong cardfighter like Miko would challenge him. According to Helio, she was a regular at the shop while Arata had only gone there a about thrice in the past two weeks. It almost seemed like she was testing him. Not being one to give in to curiosity, Arata decided to forget about it. Nothing can stay hidden forever...

**A/N: First time writing a cardfight, that was tougher than I thought. The fight might not have been that great but I promise it will get better. Feedback is welcome but most of all enjoy!**


End file.
